A group of protestors broke into the building of the Ministry of Public Works on Friday morning and demanded to talk with Minister Ali Hamieh.
The group broke into the Ministry to stand against the worsening conditions in Lebanon, as the exchange rate reached an all-time high of 25,000 LBP for $1 USD, just days before.
The prices of general goods skyrocketed, as well as fuel, making survival in the country more difficult. In addition, the partial lifting of subsidies on medicine has made them harder to obtain.
That’s to add the other crises approaching the country. The rainy weather, coupled with piles of garbage, may lead to several problems in terms of health and hygiene.
This isn’t the first time people break into a ministry building to protest. Last Friday, a dozen protestors broke into the Ministry of Social Affairs.
Minister Hamieh agreed to listen to the protestors’ demands in a 30-minute meeting. Following the discussion, he said: “I am one of the people.”
“When I agreed to become a minister, I knew the gap between the people’s and government’s needs,” he added.
Minister Hamieh also told the group that the Ministry’s budget is 70 billion Lebanese Pound. Half of the budget is assigned to cleaning streets, while the other half is going on fixing the main roads in Lebanon.
